Well we had a tragic week this time around. I might be saying this because not one but BOTH of my favorite trousers got ripped a couple new ones. Okay mostly because I loved those trousers. We looked good together but we actually had a pretty good week. One night walking through I guess what we would call kind of wetland/swampyness I saw a bunch of lightning bugs. Arizona definitely should import a lot more of those. They are freaking awesome. Yes to those curious enough to wonder I did chase some. Thank you. Also another day just walking down a street passed this kid probably 5 or 6 and smiled and waved to him. Like 2 mins later he comes running back to us and spit out a sick freestyle rap and then ran back to his dad/whoever that guy with him was. It made me smile because that kid definitely had his heart into it, though it was in Twi so I didn't really get what he was saying.

Wednesday morning I am shaving and my companion is showering and we just hear someone banging on our door like there is no tomorrow. So rushing to get the keys, half throw a shirt on, and stumble down the stairs we are met by some little old lady who has a watermelon for us. She gave it to us and then said bye. Wasn't until Sunday we found out it was a member who had sent the lady to give it to us. It was pretty tasty though. Especially since my companion doesn't really eat watermelon. While teaching a lesson we got straight out rained out. It lasted forever and made us miss like 2 appointments. Sunday we forgot some stuff at our apartment and had to run back between going to one of the branches headed to the next.

We live on the second story and so I'm full on running around the corner and booking it up our stairs when out of no where a chicken pops up out of no where headed for my face. Little guy and squeezed under our door and just got nervous about me coming so fast. So those are the adventures for the week. Here is something I really liked that happened this week. We were teaching a few different lessons in English and people who didn't understand English were somehow around. As we were talking they slowly just wanted to be around because they said it made them feel good even if they could only understand bits and pieces. Which led to another thing of how much people notice about us. Even if it is just a smile. We had a few people call us from different shops and houses and just want to know why we were just going around and seemed happy about it. It was sweet to see that really we aren't doing this by ourselves we definitely get some help. I love everybody!


Love Travis

Here is to another week in Ghana. Something that happened this week was a like full out war against The Book of Mormon from people we are teaching. Literally it just getting thrown at us left and right. Sometimes things are just hard for people to accept right off the bat. This week we had to travel to a smaller area outside of Konongo. We went and met a lot of really nice people. Except seeing all of the we stayed WAY too late. Had a hard time catching any kind of transport back so we started walking. Walking through a road kind of cut through the forest out here is a new experience. I really enjoyed it. Though as it got darker and darker I was glad a car came and picked us back. Walking the whole way would have been horrible. It was nice to just have a time to kind of relax a little bit and just think about whatever.

This week I spent a lot of time in cars though. My body hurt after it. On Friday we went about 3 1/2 hours one way to meet Pres. Smith. Where he rubbed my head and kept commenting on how much he loved my hair. Guess I'm special like that. After that we of course came back and then on Sunday spent about 2 hours in a car travelling to a branch we attended and another 2 coming back. We met some way sweet people at that branch though. One guy just wandered into church and basically hasn't left since. We sat down and taught him and it was sweet as he was like I've read all of this. I want to know about tithing, when can I start paying. Yeah he'll be baptized, just need to work on his family. Also since it was our first Sunday there we were able to meet some returned missionaries who are going to definitely be our biggest assest. They are kind of finding some people so we can use our time more to just teach when we come there. I'm getting pretty excited.

Things are coming together in a pretty massive way. We just keep finding and finding people who are way sweet. Thankfully. I think that is most of the exciting things. Oh we are going to a birthday party of a sweet little girl tonight after some appointments. This family basically will just call us and ask if we are hungry. They fed us some turkey last time. You better believe I started thinking of Thanksgiving. ;D Yeah I'm excited. Oh this morning we went from having a sandstorm that drove everyone in doors to it raining cats and dogs in about 5 mins. I think the weather coudln't decide what to wear because it is now sun shiny day! Love ya guys! Hope it is all going well.

Elder Gibson

Hey the morning after really does let you down. I really enjoyed making the phone call to the house yesterday. It is just a nice change to actually hear your voices then just reading some words. As I hung up I couldn't believe it was my last call home. Time has flown by. So there isn't really too much new information. My new area is crazy awesome. We are super busy since we are starting out fresh but we are enjoying ourselves. We are really trying to get the members to get behind us and catch the vision of turning these branches into wards and eventually having their own stake out here. We'll see how that progresses. Everything takes time right? A few things I experienced this week I want to share. I'm in a more traditionalist area where they follow the old ways. In turn I had my first person I've taught who he himself was practicing polygamy. Probably still would of too except one wife died and the other left him.

It hit me really hard how blessed our family has been that Mom and Dad have always been so in love with each other. Then also the relationships that everyone in our family has with their spouses is just kind of touched me I guess. I don't really know how to explain it. Just think about it and I'm sure you'll get the idea. You're all smart. Another thing is of course of Grandma and her passing. Saturday we went to visit a referral given to us to a member and checked back with the members afterward who had prepared some food for us. As we were waiting for the food and eating they put on the funeral of Pres. Hinckley. We only were able to watch a part of it and actually only the first speaker his daughter Virginia Pearce. She said something that I guess helped me. After Sis. Hinckley died Pres. Hinckley was grief stricken and I'm sure miserable. She then gave a quote or maybe just a description of his attitude of, "Get up, put your shoes on, and go to work." He did and continued on during some of the church's greatest growth. Again he did the same thing when he was diagnoised with cancer. It all relates to when I came on my mission it was in the back of my mind I might not see Grandma again. When it actually happened it hurt and even from Thursday when I found out till watching the funeral I was definitely less then enthusiastic and motivated towards my responsibilties. It just kind of slapped me in the face and made me realize that I needed to get up, put my shoes on, and go to work. Cause if not Grandma and Grandad were going to beat my butt the next time they see me. I know I'm just rambling now but I spoke my mind so that is that. I do love the nice touch of throwing empty pepsi cans into the grave. Lovely touch. I hope everyone has a great week! I love you all!

Elder Gibson

So here is the run down of my week. Hold onto your pants. Tuesday morning woke up and felt horrible. Had some flu like stuff that has kicked my trash nearly all week. Finally getting on top of that. Best thing that morning Pres. Smith calls and he and his wife are coming for apartment inspections. Whirlwind cleaned so we can cover everything up best we could. When they got there Pres. lets Sis. Smith do the inspection and tells me he would like to meet outside. As we were walking out kind of was thinking that he was calling me as a zone leader since Tuesday is the transfer call day. NOPE not even close. Instead I was told I will go re-open some and completely open some areas way out of the way of anywhere I've been. I am literally the farthest a missionary can be in my mission. It is a placed called Konongo. There are two branches here that we are over and then another about a hour a way in Nkawkaw. The drive was amazing! Straight up jungle for most of the 5 hour ride up here from Accra. We live in an old bank so our apartment is huge! It is pretty dirty though.

We spent about 5 hours this morning cleaning it up. Yeah definitely will be a lot different then any where else I've served for sure. Especially since going to church yesterday in the two branches we had a lot of surprises. Even if I stay here for just one or two transfers this will be my most fruitful area for sure. I'm pretty excited. Plus I get to take some little cow trails around this town and some of the surrounding areas. I will have to travel a little bit to and from places which will be new. Konongo is population sized like Show Low but much more spread out. Much much more. It has rained here nearly everyday since we got here too so we'll see how that effects us as it is just barely the beginning of the rainy season and will get much worse. I think that is about all I really have in the way news. Any of questions? Love you guys!


Love Travis